A Hartung Farms Traditional Gets a Breezy Makeover

Tina and Jay have a lot going on. He’s a surgeon, she has a successful optometry practice in the Pearl, and they’ve got a couple of boys into sports and music. Feeling the need for more yard and more room to stretch as their boys were cruising into their teen years, Tina and Jay purchased a property at Hartung Farms.

The Farms is an older estate development outside of Portland, with houses built in the 1980s. While the home was in good condition, its traditional style, darker surfaces and smaller rooms didn’t fit Tina and Jay’s personality. “We wanted a lighter, more contemporary style throughout the house,” explains Tina. “We had a pretty clear vision, but we needed someone who could work through the details with us and develop a realistic plan on our budget.” In stepped Linda Evans.

Linda Evans of L. Evans Design Group, a veteran remodeler and interior designer, is also a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer. “Linda was able to show us where to open walls to create space. She was very hands-on with the process — regularly on-site, and at appointments to choose finishes and fixtures. That was great for helping Jay and I find things we both liked — and coming to a consensus!” laughs Tina.

KITCHEN“Tina knew she wanted white cabinets,” says Evans. “To bring the cost down, we used the existing boxes but made all new doors and drawer heads. We painted everything, rebuilt the island and replaced the countertops with lighter granite streaked with a bit of black detail for a contemporary look. Modern, whimsical lighting and cabinet pulls gives a custom feel and brings out the family’s personal style.”

Walls were removed to help the kitchen flow more freely to a refurbished family gathering space and a formal dining room, including a much wider opening to the entryway, allowing light to flow both directions.

MASTER BATH“The master bath is my favorite room now,” says Tina. “We thought we were going to salvage some of the original space, but Linda convinced us to start over. I’m glad we did. It’s beautiful and open — it feels like a spa! Linda did a wonderful job in here with lighting; there’s toe-kick lighting, and everything is dimmable. It can be dramatic, romantic or act like a nightlight, if we need it. The heated floor is great, especially right now as we move into winter.”

POWDER ROOM“The powder room was a dramatic change. It’s a very small room with a pocket door. In order to add more depth, we used a company that makes a wallpaper out of a photo. This photo is from a beach in Thailand that Jay is convinced we’ve visited before,” laughs Tina. “Plus, the floating sink adds to the feeling of more space.”

Overall, Tina credits Evans with being on top of all the little details that made many of their budget-conscious choices come across as custom finishes. “Linda knew where to put accent and complementary lighting I wouldn’t have thought of to really add a dramatic or luxurious effect,” says Tina. “Plus, she worked with us to incorporate our existing furniture or make use of existing resources whenever possible.”